Hi Everyone!
First, a huge thank you for the incredibly warm welcome to the Fediverse. The kindness from this community has been overwhelming, and such a contrast to the platforms I've left behind.
Now, I've gone down a total rabbit hole investigating more ethical tech. I've just realised that if I'm deleting Meta from my life, WhatsApp should probably go too. I'd love to know what you think are the best alternatives. Signal? Matrix/Element?
As long as the "network effect" and convenience dominate, it will be a challenge to get family and friends to even install a better choice while still having their current. I see the challenge as marathon, not a sprint.
The biggest hurdle is for many to connect the negative consequences - in particular surveillance profiling - resulting from those business models.
Personally I focus on using for real things with those who do try. Found that is the most rewarding for all.
One family or friends gathering at a time: get whole groups to change on the spot, then continue using the Signal group for everything so that it becomes the main channel.
@sophiekaz The security experts I trust all recommend Signal.
One of them pointed to this guide for beginners: https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/signal-beginners/
@sophiekaz For family and small groups messaging, Signal.
For unencrypted community chat, Matrix works well enough.
There are some interesting peer to peer options in the works too, such as Veilid, but I've not actually used those...
From a prior poster on this feed. I found it useful and shared it with my friends...
@leanderlindahl @adbenitez @nickrauchen
Stealing this image. Not sorry.
@ElbowsUpforDigitalSovereignty #sovereignty must be regained by your own hands β
I defer to you. I recently exited the #MacOS world to #Linux and this is one area I am completely confused about.
Problem with any alternatives on the laptop/desktop is... there is no easy/direct way to use SMS and related protocols... you have to be on a phone system to participate unless you use Apple, Meta, Goog, etc. (Again as far as I can tell.) There used to be email to text gateways, but those have been shut down by the major tele-carriers.
So I do much less texting. Slows me down a bit socially, but my friends are learning to look for me on email instead.
Looking into it now. Had to talk to the Delta Airlines chatbot first. π
Referring to a relevant #xkcd panel on their main page gave them instant cred.
Will see how far I can get. Thanks!
Have not heard of it. Has not popped up in my searchs.
@sophiekaz you will have better chances with signal for your close relationships. That's the best compromise of user experience and safety.
@delta has more and more traction, and does not require a phone number so great for children.
Matrix is more for online communities, think like slack or discord.
Install all for months first, remove the useless ones after. Do your tests
My goto reference is @privacyguides
@sophiekaz I am only familiar with Signal, but it is thoroughly modern and is secure as it getsπ. And Meredith Whittaker - the president of the Signal Foundation - represents the vanguard of ethical tech πͺ!
Delta for instant messaging (instead of WhatsApp, Signal, Snapchat, iMessage). Matrix (Element, FluffyChat) for larger groups, work, associations etc.
@sophiekaz
signal, threema
+1 for Signal. It's almost certainly the most secure, and is going from strength to strength. Really quite reliable.
Doubtless I was lucky, but the 3-4 groups I needed to move were very happy to do so if someone else set it up.
@sophiekaz I recommend you Delta Chat, it has a super easy onboarding! easier than WhatsApp, Signal etc. no phone number or anything required for registration, just set a name and go
it also has in-chat mini-apps and tools like shopping lists, collaborative notepads, mini-games etc.
it is decentralized, open source and it also empowers you with multi-homing (and easy migration of servers without losing your profile and chats)
it is ideal for family and friends
If I didn't know #deltachat I would have recommended signal, but since I discovered a decentralized messaging app that works just the same I don't see any good reasons to recommend signal now... Signal uses servers of (and therefore gives money to) amazon, microsoft, etc.
I made my family move from telegram/whatsapp to signal a few years ago.
I'm now planning to convince them to move to deltachat :)
Matrix would be my choice. It allows calls - which Deltachat does not.
However - the sign-up process for Matrix is a bit complicated.
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